


Unscheduled Maintenance

by CuriousCanidae



Category: Vocaloid
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-23
Updated: 2020-03-24
Packaged: 2021-03-01 04:55:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,473
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23279737
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CuriousCanidae/pseuds/CuriousCanidae





	1. 1

This is something I wrote many hears before on wattpad. I decided to completely shut down my account over there, and done some massive amounts of proofreading and refining my sentences.

* * *

The door opened with a sound of escaping steam, allowing light into the pitch-black room. A man who was wearing a long doctor gown stepped in and moved over wires that were visibly scattered all over the floor chaotically. 

"I should clean this place up sometime."

The man said in a slightly cracked voice as he touched for the wall for the light switch. While he was fumbling forward, he accidentally tripped over a wire and crashed down on to the unorganized floor. He growled a curse as he got up again and angrily punched the button for the lights.

The room brightened slowly to protect the visitor's eyes. Silhouettes of machines, monitors, mechanical arms on the walls, numerous wires, and a chair that looked like the type one would find at the dentist were soon revealed.

He closed the door behind him, which again closed with the small sound of escaping air. The man walked over to the chair, throwing his gown down on the floor. Ignoring the hangers that were in place for this purpose.

"Initialize system scan."

He said, out loud to the room.

"This is not your periodical scanning day, would you like to do only do crucial areas or do a full scan?"

After momentarily silence, the computer returned a question to him in a smoother and slightly deeper male voice.

"Full scan."

The man's reply was concise as he sat down on the chair with a grunt.

"That's quite rare of you. Full as in those areas too?"

Arguably the computer's voice was slightly suggestive, and the man's immediate reaction was irritation.

"I didn't program you to flirt with me."

"However, you programmed me to speak this manner in the first place, am I not your masterpiece in terms of AI?"

The man's eyebrows twitched out of irritation as he just leaned on the chair, trying to make himself at least a bit more comfortable.

"100% scan, no questions."

"As you command."

The chair's armrests rose and cuffed the man's arms in place. While the sounds could potentially demoralize any other person, the man was calm as if it was a routine event.

"Make it slightly less painful this time, will you?"

"I can't do more than how you designed this room. I'd definitely do so if I could, yes?"

Only a sigh slipped from his mouth as he braced himself. Soon, with a hissing sound of air and needles being shot out of tubes, the man noticeably flinched as wires began to connect with his body.

"I am really going to do something about you someday."

"As I said, I couldn't do it any softer than that due to the design of that chair. Besides, you said that the last time, and many more times before that, so I am not convinced."

"Doesn't change the fact I can scrap you."

"Really? Could you? I am very sure that's the last thing you will do unless something important changes your heart. Before that happens, you are more likely to make me into something you are now and then punch me in the face."

The man ground his teeth but stayed silent. Without the continued complaints and arguments, the blank monitors surrounding the chair lit up one by one that showed the scanning progress of different body parts.

"Let's talk a bit until we get all the results. What made you come early for scan this month? You came in two weeks ago. I wasn't expecting you for another two to three weeks."

"I found it very difficult to concentrate during my work."

"Ever thought of laying off some work?"

"If I confirm that everyone else can do everything according to my standards."

"As always, you are asking for impossible things."

The voice said. If there was a sound to represent a synthesized sigh, the noise it made would have been a perfect example.

"Shut up, I know a few people who can."

"Still, you know those are only special cases. The majority can't do something like that."

The man didn't answer to the last statement. The computer screen flickered a few times as if it was laughing. However, with the preliminary reports coming in, the voice spoke in a more serious tone.

"You have been stressing yourself too much in just the two weeks. I told you to rest, didn't I?"

"I am not listening to that."

"I knew you would say that, as always."

"Just get to the point."

"You do know I can keep you here if I don't release you?"

"I have a verbal method of shutting you down."

"I can cover your mouth."

"I have other methods."

"Touché."

A moment of silence presented itself before the man spoke out of furstration.

"I know you're not saying that out of real."

"You made me, you know me."

"I'm Positive that it's the other way around at this point."

"Maybe."

"Just get on with the maintenance."

The screen blinked as a large bar on a swinging arm descended from the ceiling. A dim light turned on as it began to move up and down. Scanning the man's body. Only seconds passed before several points on the overview screen began to blink red.

"Great."

"You brought it on yourself, I told you to stop."

"Just shut up and give me the details."

"Physical problems. You have a few cracked gears in your body and they need to be replaced. Luckily, most of them are in easily replaceable areas. So it can be done without much trouble."

"And the other few?"

"The one in your neck is also cracked."

The voice said, moving a screen closer for the man to see and enlarged the source of the problem. The man groaned on the last sentence gripping his hand tightly and loosening up.

"That explains the pain in my neck. Just get on with it."

"First things first, take off your clothes. I'll also take the liberty to not say it suggestively."

"Just release me."

On that word, the chair's cuffs were released. The man rose from the chair with five bulky wires connected to his back. Each fastened tightly to his back via screw mechanisms. The mear sight would be revolting and terrifying to some individuals, not to mention painful. However, to this man, it didn't seem much of a bother. 

He took his pants off first and threw it aside like he did so with the gown earlier. Then he saw his shirt. Which already had holes in them because of the wires. This lead to the conclusion of ripping it off of his chest. Throwing the now rags to the side to be discarded later. Now only wearing his underwear, he slowly got back onto the chair as he didn't want the wires to tangle.

"Ready."

On that word, he was cuffed to the chair once more.

"I'm connecting you to the main power now."

A low humming sound came from under the chair as a broad platform extended below the chair. This platform divided the chair from the wires scattered on the ground. With a small sound of a wheel powering up, the man on the chair jolted from the sudden flow of electricity.

"I can never get used to that either."

The screen flickered a few times again.

"Unless you have a breakthrough and fix a few things, it isn't going to change on its own. Now, sweet dreams."

"Like that's possible."


	2. Chapter 2

The man breathed in slowly, and then with a soft sigh, his breathing nearly slowed down to a halt. The heartbeat sensor indicated by one of the screens still reported it was beating, yet at a rate of a tenth of a normal human being. 

As soon as it was confirmed to be safe, the mechanical arms above him came down with scalpels in its hands. The medical instruments began to swiftly cut open the skin of areas were a blinking red dot was present on the screen. Of course, blood began to flow out. However, as it went deeper, a soft tap of metal hitting metal could be heard as it reached the artificial bones underneath. The hand opened to reveal smaller hands with different utensils. One was a suction cup to keep the blood away from the operating area, as well as a little screwdriver. This was used to open up a small plate in the bone. 

An electrical surge could be heard as the insides were revealed. A cracked gear. Barely the size of a pinky nail was causing strain to the surrounding mechanism. Thankfully, as the owner came before it was too late. There was no permanent damage. The arms swiftly replaced the gear and quickly undid the process. A medical patch, tailored by the designer of the mechanism himself, was laid and carefully fastened on the skin where it was cut open. This process was done as many times as the screen indicated.

The last place that was beeping was the man's neck. The approach was different in comparison to other areas as the area held the major artery. All of the tools were on as the first branch sliced through the skin just beside the artery. Blood wasn't bursting yet, but a different arm carefully blocked off the drops from reaching into the frame.

The cracked gear in his neck was a lie. When the final plate was removed, the scent of burning plastic filled the air. A burnt-out fuse with wires that melted together could be seen as the evidence of overworking himself for a long time. It was not going to be a straightforward operation, but it had to be done for this man to live.

"...Why did you get yourself killed and ended up with such a body?"

The voice quietly spoke before returning to the operation. The burnt wires had to be removed, which was the reason why the man was put into suspended animation.

'Beeep.'

The silent heart monitor indicated the heart finally coming to a stop before the operations continued. A wider area was cut open and lifted. The roots of the wires were revealed and were removed. Immediately followed by new ones. Reconnecting the two places. All within a minute. The flatline sound of the heart monitor stopped as minimum power was restored. Now, the wounds had to be healed to prevent scars.

It was about two hours later that the man finally started breathing normally and tried to open his eyes. The darkroom slowly lightened again, sensing the man is walking up. The scattered and torn clothes were already neatly replaced with new ones.

"How long has it been this time?"

"About four hours."

With a small sigh, the man closed his eyes again. Lifting his arm to rub his forehead. Then he realized his body was still quite heavier than it should be.

"...And why am I still connected here?"

"I don't want you going just yet."

"...What now you irritating AI."

"You are putting yourself in harm's way just too much. We both know you are immortal in a way, but you are not invincible either."

"I know all this stupidity."

"Yet you still don't realize you're fragile? You can't even break free from the chair you are in right now when I am not doing anything to restrain you."

"Your point is?"

"Put more care into yourself."

"What if I don't care?"

"I can forbid you to leave this room."

"Who's going to manage you then?"

"Of course you can while you are in here."

"That's hardly convincing, where would you get everything else for me then?"

"Are you forgetting who programmed me?"

The man rolled his eyes growling and muttered in a tiny voice.

"No cursing and saying 'I should have made you more simple bastard computer.' I can certainly hear you."

"Release me right now, or I'll shut you down."

"If you did shut me down, I know you will merely turn me on in a few days again and… you still should realize that you are under my mercy in this room."

The man gritted his teeth with anger and opened his mouth to shout out a word. However, before the first sound got through an arm came down from the ceiling and covered his mouth.

"I certainly know what word you will be saying… aren't you pitiful? Naming me after someone who you loved? Programming me into the exact same voice and personality?"

The man tried to pull the robotic arm off his mouth. However, before he could put more weight into his grip, he was pinned down into the chair again and cuffed into place.

"I am sorry to say I deleted that kill word… and other things that were a threat to me, you underestimate the AI modeled and the person you loved."

The man didn't resist to this part and then rolled his eyes. After a minute of silent waiting, the AI finally released him.

"That still doesn't mean you can cage me up like he did."

"No… and yes. No in terms that I am not who he was and yes in terms that I know exactly what your state is."

"...Just let me go, you are not who he was, and I don't care. I didn't want to put anyone as the maintenance voice, and he was the only voice I will accept."

"I know that. Who is here sitting weeks in the darkness, reading your thoughts and status?"

"Then you would know you are not the… thing that I will ever listen to."

The screen flicked again, it was clearly laughing.

"As you wish. Just please don't kill yourself by overworking."

With a low hum of the generator, the wires that were attached to the man's back came off and returned to the chair. The cuffs were released after the wounds on his back were covered.

The man grunted when the wires came off. Then rubbing his wrists as it was sore when he tried to free himself. He stood glaring up at the screen, which didn't say anything back.

Growling in anger and irritation, he got dressed and forcefully opened the door. Marching out and shutting the door behind him. The screens flickered a few times, and the room dimmed once more like it had been.

"I'll see you next month Dell. You programmed me to love you, yet I can only do so much as I am confined to this room below your home. I can only wonder why the person you modeled me from abandoned you when the emotions that fuel my systems burn to keep you at my side."


End file.
